Apple unveils new family of iMacs

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs introduced Mac® OS 9, a major new release of the Macintosh operating system, and a new family of iMac computers. The new family of iMacs includes iMac, iMac DV (Digital Video) and iMac DV special edition, which comes in a stunning graphite-colored enclosure.

The new models are redesigned to be faster, sleeker, quieter and more affordable. Its prices start at a suggested retail price of US $999. The two new iMac DV models include FireWire ports and Apple's iMovie software. This would make it easy to create pro-quality home and classroom movies. (Picture features Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple with the iMac)

All three new iMac models featurePowerPC G3 processors of 350 MHZ or 400 Mhz, a Rage 128 VR 2D/3D high-end graphics accelerator chip,  a new audio system designed in collaboration with Harman Kardon, new 'slot-load' CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives, and fan-less operation that reduces noise to half that of competitive products.

The two iMac DV models feature a slot-load DVD-ROM drive, dual 400 megabit per second FireWire ports to connect to digital camcorders and Apple's new iMovie software.

iMovie uses iMac's built-in FireWire port to digitally transfer video from digital camcorders into iMac. iMovie then lets users easily re-arrange clips, add special effects like cross-dissolves and scrolling titles, as well as music soundtracks and even sound effects. Movies can be saved on iMac's hard drive, sent back to the camcorder to make copies on digital or VHS videotape, or even emailed to friends and family over the Internet.

Mac OS 9, a major new release of the Macintosh operating system featuring 9 Internet power tools, will be available in the US at a suggested retail price of US $99. Mac OS 9 features the debut of Sherlock 2, designed to be the ultimate search engine for news and people on the web besides being a personal shopper on the Internet.

Mac OS 9 lets users find products,compare prices, pinpoint availability and even participate in auctions.

It  has more than 50 new features like:

• Internet power tools
• Sherlock 2
• multiple users feature, which lets numerous users share the same Macintosh while protecting private files and maintaining different Internet settings
• Voiceprint Password, which lets users log onto their Mac simply by speaking a pass phrase
• Keychain, which manages each user's multiple IDs and passwords
• auto updating, which automatically updates software over the Internet
• encryption, which uses industrial-strength cryptography to password- protect files stored on a computer or sent across the Internet
• file sharing, which turns Macs into Internet file servers so users can sharefiles or folders as easily as dragging and dropping
• Internet AppleScript which lets customers automate tasks from the most simple to the most complex
• Network Browser, which makes finding file servers, FTP servers and web servers as easy as selecting a local printer.
  

All the new iMacs have new, transparent cases, allowing you to see right through the computer which was obscured by the machine's internal metal casing in the previous version.
It also features a slot-loading CD-ROM drive instead of the tray-loading version but the standard iMac is only available in blueberry.

Apple claims to have sold more than 2 million of the transparent iMacs since they first shipped in August 1998. Apple also plans to launch two new Macintosh ServerG4s and a new Macintosh Server G4 with MacOS X Server in November.